Trading Trinkets for Trophies

Welcome back and Happy New Year! 🎉 

In today’s edition…

He used to walk the streets of Greece, selling DVDs, sunglasses, and trinkets to tourists.

Just so his family could afford food.

When he declared for the draft, he was an unknown prospect who faced “YMCA level” competition.

Now, every basketball fan knows his name.

Let’s dive in 👇

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The “Greek Freak” Traded Trinkets for Trophies

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The sports world, like many other parts of society, is divided into three groups:

• The privileged (starters)

• The middle class (role players)

• The less fortunate (deep bench)

The story of Giannis Antetokounmpo falls into the latter.

While the “Greek Freak” has become one of the most dominant forces in today’s NBA, his journey from the streets of Athens to an NBA Champion is a testament to his hard work, resilience, and belief that underdogs can defy the odds.

Born in 1994 to parents Charles and Veronica, Giannis Sina Ugo Adetokunbo was the third of five boys.

Three years before Giannis was born, the couple relocated from Lagos to Athens, Greece in search of a better life, leaving their eldest son Francis with his grandparents.

Unfortunately, that search left them in poverty.

Since Charles and Veronica were immigrants to Greece, Giannis was essentially stateless due to the country’s restrictive citizenship laws.

Living in a cramped apartment in Sepolia, the family often went days without full meals.

They struggled to make ends meet by selling various products to tourists on the street – sunglasses, watches, trinkets, and handbags.

"I was young. I was selling stuff probably since I could remember, like 6 or 7 years old," Antetokounmpo told ESPN in 2018.

"I was always out there helping my mom and dad sell watches, glasses, CDs, DVDs, stuff like that. Whatever we could put our hands on. I did it until I was around 17. But I was just doing it because I had to. There was no other option. If we didn't sell that night, we wouldn't have food. Or if we sold, we'd have to think if we're going to pay the rent or buy some food. It wasn't easy.”

While the kids would grow up playing soccer, just as their father did, it wasn’t until the age of 13 that Giannis picked up a basketball.

Even then, the idea of becoming an NBA star was far-fetched.

Catching the attention of local basketball coach Spiros Velliniatis, Giannis’ natural athleticism and work ethic proved to be more than his tall, sometimes awkward frame showed.

Suiting up for the Filathlitikos youth team, it became apparent that Giannis’s combination of size, speed, athleticism, and growing skill set separated him from his teammates.

As he improved, coaches and scouts around the world started to take notice.

By the time Giannis was seventeen, he found a role with Filathlitikos’ senior men’s team in the Greek B Basket League.

A year later, the teen helped change his family’s fortune by signing a four-year deal with CAI Zaragoza of the Liga ACB league.

In 2013, Giannis announced that he was entering his name into the NBA Draft, despite averaging just 9.5 ppg, 5 rpg, and 1 bpg during the Greek A2 League season.

Certainly not eye-popping numbers, especially compared to what his American collegiate counterparts were putting up.

But whispers about the lanky Greek teen soon made their way to the States.

Grainy highlight videos circulated on YouTube.

Despite being relatively unknown, his unique blend of height, wingspan, and versatility on both ends of the court made him an intriguing prospect.

Leading into the draft process, Giannis had to obtain a proper passport, something that he didn’t have.

When he received his Greek passport, he assumed a new identity.

“When you take another country’s passport, your name has to be spelled with their alphabet. So in the D, they put NT, and in the B, they put MP,” he told Serge Ibaka.

“So it’s pronounced Antetokounmpo, the Greek way. But the Nigerian way, the way I knew my name growing up was Adetokunbo.”

Heading into the draft, Giannis was a raw prospect who never really played against elite competition.

One NBA exec likened it to “YMCA level, playing against 35- and 40-year-old guys a lot of days.”

Giannis himself was unfamiliar with the NBA Draft process.

“I thought if the NBA saw you, they like you, they take you with them.”

Despite all this, the Milwaukee Bucks decided to take a chance on the 6’9”, 196 pound project from Greece, drafting him 15th overall – ahead of more proven NCAA prospects.

As expected, draft analysts questioned the pick.

• SB Nation: “Let's be real: this is an 18-year-old kid who hadn't even left Greece until a month ago, let alone faced anything remotely resembling NBA competition.”

• ESPN: “It may be several years before we know whether the Bucks wasted their pick or struck gold with Antetokounmpo.”

• USA Today: “No team swung for the fences quite like the Bucks…for a 2013 playoff team with big holes to fill, the choice seemed strange.”

However, what Giannis may have been missing in talent, he made up for with fire and passion – the same traits that helped him and his family get by when money was tight, food was scarce, and bills were unpaid.

"I don't want to be a good player," Giannis said then, "I want to be a great one."

After walking across the stage and the ceremonial handshake with the commissioner, Giannis stated in a post-draft interview:

“I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I’m not afraid. I will give everything in the court, in the gym and I will prove to the Milwaukee Bucks that they made the right choice.”

On October 30th, 2013, the 18-year-old made his NBA debut playing 4:43 minutes, scoring just a single point and going 50% from the free throw line with a pair of fouls and a turnover.

It wasn’t until his fourth game that Giannis notched double digits, something he managed only twice in his first 15 games.

The NBA learning curve proved to be the challenge that many expected for the Greek teen, who recorded five DNPs in the Bucks's first 20 games.

A rookie season stat line of 77 games, 6.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, and 1.9 apg wasn’t great, but the 2013 Draft class wasn’t the most stellar, allowing Giannis to grab a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team.

The Bucks finished their disastrous season with just 15 wins, but the “Greek Freak” looked like a pillar for the future.

A coaching change in his second season saw Giannis become a full-time starter under the guidance of Jason Kidd.

Showing the same dedication that helped him survive on the streets of Greece, Giannis’s time in the gym paid dividends.

Not only did he develop his shot, handles, and footwork, but he also packed muscle onto his wiry frame.

From being a teenage string bean in 2013, Antetokounmpo worked to transform his body into something that resembled a Greek god, adding nearly fifty pounds of bulk and chiseled muscle.

By the 2016-17 season, at the ripe age of 22, Giannis saw all of his hard work pay off, becoming an All-Star for the first time.

The “project” label that was attached to him just three years prior was finally dropped when he earned the title of the league’s Most Improved Player.

While Giannis’s game and body of work were catching the eye of basketball fans around the world, his attitude and approach attracted sponsors, including Nike.

He grew up sharing shoes with his brother Thanasis, even to the point that they were swapping during games.

So when the Swoosh management inked the Bucks forward to a signature shoe deal, it was another symbol of how far he’d come.

The pinnacle of Giannis’ journey came during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons when he won back-to-back MVP awards.

On his way to earning such praise, he became the first player in NBA history to finish among the top 20 in all five major stat categories in a single season (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks).

While the solo achievements were something to be proud of, the ultimate honor still awaited. 

A season later, Giannis and the Bucks reached the pinnacle of the NBA, winning the franchise’s second NBA title.

While their 4-2 series victory over the Phoenix Suns was a complete team effort, it was Giannis’ 50-point performance in Game 6 that capped off a Finals MVP performance and left a lasting impression on the league.

There are many similarities between Giannis and other NBA stars, but one noticeable difference is his commitment to his community.

With all of the money available around the league – especially in the bigger markets – players tend to move around more, looking to expand their brand and team up with friends in pursuit of a title.

Despite several opportunities to move to greener pastures, Giannis’s loyalty to the Bucks and their fans has proven to be a powerful statement.

Now in his 12th season with eight trips to the All-Star Game, eight All-NBA honors, a Defensive Player of the Year, and a spot on the 75th Anniversary Team to go along with his MVPs and championship ring, Giannis’s journey from the slums of Athens to the pinnacle of basketball glory is complete.

Or so some would think.

If you ask the “Greek Freak” he will certainly tell you there is plenty left to accomplish – and he’ll challenge you to doubt him.

“​​When you focus on the past that’s your ego...when I focus on the future it’s my pride...I kind of try to focus in the moment. In the present. That’s humility. That’s being humble."

"I think I’ve had people throughout my life that’s helped me with that but that’s a skill that I’ve tried to like perfect it. And it’s been working so far, so I’m not going to stop."

🐶 

Today’s edition was written by our pal Steve Lee. If you enjoyed it, I’d love it if you’d share it with a friend!

What did you think of today’s story?

I’m looking forward to another great year of inbox banter, inspiring stories, and an exciting new chapter in our brand’s history (pun intended 😉). Stay tuned!

Til next time,
Tyler

Extra Innings…

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🏀 “Cancer picked the wrong guy.” Johnny Jackson is a high school basketball player who, after 10 chemo treatments, broke his school's all-time scoring record.

🥹 “Regardless of religion, this is something I hope everyone can appreciate.” Check out this amazing moment between a Boise State player and his coach.

🌟 Trivia Answer: A) Chris Davis – Despite the fact that he hasn’t played a game since 2020, the Orioles paid their former slugger a cool $9.1 million last summer. And they still owe him another $40 million til 2037. How’s that for a pension plan?

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